Metallurgical treatment of sulfurous ores by the precipitation process.



UNTTED PATENT OFFTCE.

ANTOINE HENRI IMBERT, OF GRAND-MONTROUGE, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO IMBERT PROCESS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK. N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

. METALLURGICAL TBEATWNT OF SULFUROUS GEES BY rm PRECIPITATION PROCESS.

. plex lead and zinc ores, sulfid of antimony,

no. svssve.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTOINE HENRI IM- BERT, engineer, residing at 75 Avenue de la Rpublique, Grandl.\lontrouge, Department of the Seine, France, a citizen of the French Republic, have invented a new and useful improvement in the Metallurgical Treatment 0*? dul'hirous Ores by the Precipitation Process, of which the following is a specification.

As is known, the metallurgical treatment of sulfid ores (such as blende, galena, cometc.),- by the precipitation process, consists in driving oil the metal from its sulfid by means of another metal havim ailmity for sulfur than the metal to be "sep arated, notably by means of iron. This reaction, so simple theoretically, has for long failed in practice, principally because it re quires too high a temperature and takes place very incompletely. To avoid these difficulties, it has been variously proposed to dissolve or liquefy the sulfid ores in a=dissolving bath whereby to render the action. of the reacting metal rapid, uniform, regular and about complete, While, at the same time, the temperature required was brought down Within industrial limits. A l

As a dissolvent of the suliids to be treated (more especially for blende), it has heretofore been proposed to employ, as a dissolving bath, on the one hand, a melted mixture of metallic oxids and, on the other, a metallic sulfid, es ecially sulfid of iron. But the single emp oyment either of metallic oxids or of a sulfid offers, in practice, so.

many serious inconveniences that the results sought for were but partially obtained. Thus, the results obtained by these processes were especially unsatisfactory when it was a question of treating blrnde; for, in the case of zinc, where the operation requires treatment in a closed vessel on account of the necessity of condensing the zinc vapors produced Without contact with air, the diiliculties increase. This is due to the fact that it is important not only to dissolve the blende, to render the action of the re-acting metal being done'in a closed vessel) that a-fiuid resi due shall be obtained in order to be able to run it oil from the retort. l have discovered Specification of Letters yatent.

Application filed June 6. 1907. Serial No. 377.691-

more

Patented Dec. 31, 3.907.

that the latter result, that is a fluid residue, can be obtained by employing, as a dissol vent of blende,or of any other analogous sulild, a mixture of metallic oxids and metallic sulfids, the sulfid especially suitable being sulfid of iron.

The employment as a dissolvent, of a suitable mixture of metallic sulfids and oxide constitutes therefore the present invention. As an example, a very good dissolvent can be formed by mixing suliid of iron with peroxid of iron. In practice about three parts of 'suliid are mixed with about one art of peroxid. This mixture forms a very uid bath at a temperature in the nei hborhood of l000 '1fl- 1100" C. and can dissolve six parts ofblende such as is ordinarily used in industry, containingabout 45% Zn. By adding the necessary iron, preferably cast iron, for the displacement of the zinc, a rapid disengagement of zinc is obtained after which the residual material, in a very fluid condition, can be run off from the retort. This material classifies itself s ontaneously into two distinctly separate I parts, the one formed of slag containing the gangues and the other ofa ferrous matte which latter, by roasting a part of the mass, gives sulfur While also regenerating the 01nd of iron nec essary for the formation of the dissolvent for the subsequent charges. If deemed advisable, a portion of the OXld of iron obtained can in its turn be treatedfor regeneratingthe'metallic iron required as a re-agent. The other part of the matte is used over and over again, indefinitely, in the operation of the process as sulfid o1 iron.

In the mixture of sulfids and oxids, which constitute the dissolvent, the oxid of iron may, in certain cases, be replaced byoxid of manganese, lime, magnesia, etc. In special circumstances, Where manganese is employed as a re-agent, the dissolvent can be formed of sulfide and oxide of manganese.

destined to take the place of the metal which is sou' ht to be extracted from the sulfid or the produced oxid can he treated so as to regenerate the reacting metal itself; conse quently', the cycle of operations yields important technical and economical advanta es. v

l laving thus described my invention, but without .imitin myself to the precise operations and deter s specified, what I claim is:

1. The process of reducin metallic sultids which "consists in heating idle sulfid in the presence of an oxid and a sulfid of such a character that they will form a dissolvent for the said metallic sulfide with a metal having the sulfid being reduced.

actor that they will. form a dissolvent for the t sore.-

3. The process of reducing sulfids which consists in heating-the 'sulfid with a mixture of peroxid of iron, sulfid of iron; and a metal having a reater affinity for sulfur than the metal of he sulfid bein reduced.

4:. The processloi reducing sulfid ores in which the metal has less afimity for sulfurf than has iron which consists in heating the? ore with a mixture of peroxid of iron, sulfidi an oxid and a portion of the sulfid of said of iron and. metallic iron.

5 The recess of reducing sulfid ores which consists in heating the ore in the presence of a metal havin a greater affinity for sulfur than the metal of the ore 'being reduced, and an oxid' and a sulfid of said metal,

and re-em loying'a portion of the residual suliid for t is reduction of further ore.

6. The' recess of reducing suliid ores which consists in heating the ore in the pres! ence. of a metal. having a reater aflinity for sulfur than the metal of t c'siilfid being reduced, and an oxid and a sulfid'of said metal, reiim loyinga portion of the residual sullid for tie reduction. of further ore, and roomloying another portion of the residual suliid or regenerating the oxid required for reduciug further ore.

7. The roccss of reducing sullid ores which consists in heating the ore in the presence of a metal having a reator aflinity for sulfur than. the metal of sulfid being reduced, and an oxid and a sulfid of said metal, remploying a portion of the residual sulfid 'for the reduction of further ore, reemploying another portion of the residual sulfid for re. generating the oxid required .i'or reducing 1 said metal with the remaining enters further tore} and for regenerating the metallic oxid required for regenerating thereacting which the metal has less affinity for sulfur than has iron which consists in heating the ore in the presence of metallic iron and of .peroxid and sulfid of iron, reemploying a portion of the residual sulfid' of iron for the reduction of further ore, and reemploying another portion ofthe residual sulfid of iron for re enerating the peroxid of iron required for re ucing further ore. a greater aihnity for sulfur than the metal of I which the metal had less aifinityfor sulfur H 2. The i recess of reducing sulfid ores I whichconsists in heating the ore in tl1e.presence of an oxid and a suliid of such a char- 10. The process of reducing suliid ore in than has iron which consists in heating the ore in the presence of metallic iron and of peroxid and sulfid of iron; remploying a portion of the residual sulfid of iron for the reduction offurther ore, and remploying another portion of the residual sulfid of iron for regenerating the peroxid of iron required for reducing further ore, and forregencrating the peroxid of iron'neoessary to regenerate the metallic iron for the treatment of A further ore.

11. The process of reducing successive charges of sulfid ores which consists in heating' each charge of ore in the presence of a metal having a greater affinity. for sulfur than the. metal of the ore being reduced, and

pre-

which consists in heating containing an oxid and a sulfid of said metal,

drawing off the residual material, roasting a portion. of said material to regenerate the metallic oxid, and mirdngsa'id oxidwith a metal and a sulfid of said metal to forma new charge of the dissolvent.

13. The process which consists in heating sullid ore in the presence of a metal having a greater afiinity for sulfur than the metal of the ore being reduced; and of a dissolvent containing'an oxid and a sulfid of said metal, drawing off the residual material, roasting a portion of said material to regenerate the e presence of a metal having metallic oxid, regenerating a portion of said J oxid to produce the metal, and. mixing the said oxid and with a sulfid of'sai form a new charge of the dissolvent.

14 The process which consists inheating sulfid ore in the presence of a metal having ortion of metal to a greater aifinity forsulfur than the metal of the ore being reduced; and of a dissolvent containing an oxid and a sulfid of said metal, drawing off the residual material, roasting a portion of, said material to regenerate the metallic oxid, regenerating a portion of said oxid to produce the metal, and mixing the said metal with the remaining portion of said oxid andwith the remaining portion of said residual material to form'a' new charge of the dissolvent.

15. The processwhich consists in heating sulfid ore in the presence of a metal having a greater afiinity for sulfur than the metal of the ore being reduced; and of a dissolvent 15 containing an oxid and a sulfid of said metal, drawing off the residual material, and mixin I a portion of said material with an oxid an a metal to form a new charge of the dissolvent for the sulfid ore.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'ANTOINE HENRI IMBER'L Witnesses:

FADAN I. STUNooK, 'OLAUmUs LUssON. 

